The Dresden Enterprise Celebrates Grand Re-Opening with Ribbon Cutting
The staff at The Dresden Enterprise, the Dresden community, family and friends were thrilled to celebrate their grand re-opening and their new official location back in downtown Dresden.
The Weakley County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, November 5 to celebrate this milestone for this historical publication. On behalf of everyone at the Dresden Enterprise of Richardson Media Group, we would like to thank everyone who came out to show their support.
“We can’t wait to see the positive impact Dresden Enterprise will bring from their new location,” Erica Moore, the new Weakley County Chamber Director stated.
Weakley County Mayor Dale Hutcherson, Dresden Mayor Mark Maddox, Gleason Mayor Charles Anderson, Dresden Aldermen Kenneth Moore and Kenneth Gatewood, Weakley County Chamber CEO Justin Crice, Trustee Marci Floyd, Bud Grimes, Dresden City Recorder Jennifer Branscum and many more attended the event.
“I think it’s great that the ribbon cutting was held on election day and I believe you, Shannon, wrote an editorial calling the media watchdogs which I think is accurate. The media helps keep us in check and we appreciate you all being back here in Dresden,” Hutcherson said.
After almost three years, The Enterprise comes back home to the county seat. Since 1883, The Dresden Enterprise newspaper has been a part of the Dresden business community, providing countywide news coverage, and even offering some headlines from throughout the state and nation. On December 10, 2021 and devastating EF-3 tornado tore its way through Dresden and destroyed the building that housed The Enterprise. The roof collapsed into the building which crushed walls, desks and office equipment.
On January 14, the office building on South Wilson Street in Dresden and home of The Enterprise since the late 70s was officially demolished.
Shortly afterwards, staff members worked remotely, putting together pages of the newspaper digitally each week to ensure the paper is printed and delivered to the community and then in 2023 an office location was found in Martin where the Enterprise has been housed until now.
The Enterprise is now located back in Dresden on court square right next to the Weakley County Chamber of Commerce in the office where probation and parole was formerly located.
The Enterprise and The Martin Post will both be housed in our Dresden office. The Enterprise is currently planning a grand re-opening ribbon cutting with the Weakley County Chamber of Commerce and we are hoping to have all of our archives back in our office by that time.
In 1883, Robert Lewis established the Enterprise in Dresden, Tennessee, to fill the void left after the closing of the Dresden Weekly Democrat, which had served the locality since 1876. Lewis had worked for newspapers in Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Nashville before settling into Dresden, located in Weakley County, an agricultural region which became home to the University of Tennessee-Martin in 1927. Below a masthead that acknowledged that "The World Moves," the Enterprise brought local news each Friday for an annual subscription rate of $2.50 to Weakley County, an area with a rich newspaper history dating to the establishment of the Tennessee Patriot by James Leigh in 1838.
Addie Cardwell Lewis, Robert's wife, had an active role in the publication of the Enterprise and later took over operations after her husband's death in 1895. Although women had been participating in the operation of family newspapers since the colonial era, it was rare for a woman to be listed as the editor-publisher at this time. Under her leadership, the Enterprise increased advertising, editorial columns, and readership. Operating in a county of nearly 30,000 residents at the turn of the century, Lewis used the paper as a platform for the women's and temperance movements. Joe L. Holbrook worked with Addie Lewis and, in 1901, he purchased the paper, which had since changed its name to the Dresden Enterprise. Holbrook operated the Enterprise for more than 40 years. Finis J. Garrett was co-editor for a short time; he was later elected to U.S. Congress as a Democrat and served for 24 years. Holbrook printed "hard" news on the front page and local news within the first four pages of the newspaper, relegating advertising to the final pages. In 1907, the Dresden Enterprise merged with the Sharon Tribune to form the Dresden Enterprise and Sharon Tribune. After 1945, a series of editors and owners worked with the Enterprise, including J. Frank Barlow, who converted the newspaper from letterpress to offset printing, and brothers Fred, Roy, and Alfred "Red" Burroughs. Since 1997, the paper has been known as the Dresden Enterprise, and in the 21st century is published online. (Information provided from newspapers.com).
The Enterprise is pleased to return home so be sure to stop by and see us. Our address is 110 West Maple Street. Our phone number is 731-364-2234. Our editor, Shannon Taylor can be reached at shannon@richardsonmediagroup.net or by cell at 731-819-4497. Our front office manager Miranda Hitt can be reached at miranda@richardsonmediagroup.net. Our publisher and CEO is Daniel Richardson and he can be reached at daniel@richardsonmediagroup.net.
Our office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
